Debate heats to new level on Segways

THE applicant behind the seaside Segway tours for Bargara has spoken out, refuting claims he stole the idea from South Kolan man Dave Zunker.

The Bundaberg Regional Council this week announced it had received a request for Segway tours leaving from Bargara's Little Athletics field and travelling to Mon Repos along the Turtle Trail.

But when Mr Zunker heard of the request he was "p***** off" and said he approached Bargara divisional representative Greg Barnes with the idea last year only to have it talked down.

Cr Barnes confirmed the conversation but "totally rejected" that he talked down the proposal and claimed he was "actually quite enthusiastic".

When Matt Dempsey, the man behind the request, heard of Mr Zunker's comments he was not impressed.

"I don't even know who Dave Zunker is," he said.

"We didn't even know there was anyone else trying to propose the idea."

Mr Dempsey said it was a case of too little to late for Mr Zunker.

"If anybody had the idea before, they should have put an application into the council," he said.

Mr Dempsey said he and wife Jackie came up with the idea following a trip to Fraser Island last year.

He said while staying at Kingfisher Bay Resort they took a guided Segway tour and over dinner that night talked of how perfect the idea would be for the Bargara coastline.

"We thought 'wow, we could do so much of that with the Turtle Trail'," he said.

Mr Dempsey said his planned tours would take visitors to the Mon Repos Turtle Centre where he and his wife had volunteered since moving to the region almost a decade ago.

Mr Dempsey said he also had an application in with the State Government to take tour groups into the turtle centre.

If his application is approved by the council at its ordinary meeting next week, Mr Dempsey said he would be importing six off-road personal mobility devices (not the official Segway brand) for the tours.

Mr and MrsDempsey purchased two of the devices about 14 weeks ago for themselves.

He said it was an incredible experience traversing the region's coastline on the motorised devices.

"We're really trying to test them out and see what we can do with them," he said.